Star of Courage

• Awarded on: January 23, 1984
• Invested on: June 22, 1984

On the morning of 4 January 1983, Deputy Chief David Bell of the Perth Volunteer Fire Department, repeatedly risked his life to rescue a woman and her eighteen-month-old son from a burning apartment. On arrival at the scene of the fire, Deputy Chief Bell learned that the woman and her son were inside the ground-floor apartment and entered through a broken bedroom window. As thick smoke poured from the adjacent living-room, he crawled on the bedroom floor, found the semi- conscious child and carried him to the window. In spite of pleas from onlookers gathered at the scene, Deputy Chief Bell turned into the suffocating smoke and located the woman, but had to return to the window to clear his lungs. Knowing from experience he was placing his own life in jeopardy, he then fought to free himself when the onlookers attempted to restrain him. Relying on the sound of the unconscious woman gasping for breath, he made his way through the smoke a third time and succeeded in bringing her to safety. While the victims were rushed to hospital, Deputy Chief Bell donned his fireman's apparel and joined the others in fighting the blaze. Because of the courage and tenacity of this eighteen-year veteran firefighter, two young lives were spared.